Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Home Sweet Home...Not

The Phillies failed to hold onto a lead at home for the second straight night, losing 5-4 to the visiting Colorado Rockies. This is a game they will probably regret if they miss out on the NL wild card come late September. Todd Zolecki, Marcus Hayes, Dennis Deitch, and Mike Olshin have the game stories. Jim Salisbury says "this is getting ugly. No, it was already ugly. Now it's getting uglier." Todd Zolecki's notebook says new Phillie Cory Lidle drove in from Cincinatti yesterday, and also features Kevin Millwood's latest injury woes, which have him not returning until mid-September, which might be too little, too late, for this team. Marcus Hayes wonders if Larry Bowa should tinker with the batting order to help out Jim Thome.

Bob Brookover discusses the supposed "controversy" of some remarks by Terrell Owens that have apparently inflamed the "lesbian and gay community." Owens' comments, which were really only answers to questions about rumors that former teammate Jeff Garcia is gay, will appear in an issue of Playboy which hits the stands this week. I have a question: which members of the "angered community" are actually reading Playboy? Just asking. Sounds to me like much ado about nothing. Bob Grotz chats with Brian Dawkins, who says T.O. just speaks his mind. The Philly media just loves having him around. They haven't had it this good since Charles Barkley was in town. Of course, Howard Eskin still has it that good because he's Barkley's caddy. Or at least, he plays one on TV. Jack McCaffery wonders, amid all the mounting (hopefully not serious) injuries at training camp, whether Owens may have had a point when he questioned the physical nature of Andy Reid's camps. He writes:

Has the level of camp contact been inappropriate for this particular team, at this particular time? There is no answer now, and there will be just one eventually. Either the Eagles, three-time failures in the NFC final, will reach the Super Bowl or they will not. If they play for a world championship, they will be saluted for their every move; if they fall short, they will be criticized like no other Eagles operation in recent history. So there will be closure, but it is months away.

Bob Brookover writes that Freddie Mitchell is a bit miffed his 4th-and-26th play didn't merit consideration at the ESPYs. Les Bowen reports that Nate Wayne gave Jeremiah Trotter his old #54 back, and it only cost Trotter "free car washes for the year" at the car wash that he owns in Cherry Hill. Mark Eckel talks with Todd Pinkston, who says "there were some things going on outside of football" that could explain the dropoff in his play (including a very forgettable performance in the NFC Championship game). Some of Pinkston's comments really make you scratch your head:

I'll be honest, I was kind of down when I heard [the team acquired Owens]. I thought James [Thrash] and I had chemistry. Now, I had to develop a new chemistry with him. There might me more pressure on me this year with him here. If teams are going to double T.O., I'm going to get single coverage and I'm going to have to make plays.

You're "going to have to make plays" Todd? That is what they pay you to do, right? I have no idea what Harvey Yavener is trying to say.